Politics of the Belly: Food for Thought

Politics, from an academic and philosophical point of view, is supposed to be a noble institution with the sole aim of regulating the administrative affairs of the state, and by implication, the day-to-day affairs of the governed.

In other words, politics is like the robots that systematically and efficiently regulate the traffic flow on our national roads. However, these days politics has been turned into the dirtiest game ever to be played by homo sapiens. In other words, politics is no longer practised in the best interest of the people, but rather, in the best interest of the belly. Whose belly? The belly of the opportunists and self-centred egoistic individuals.

The politics of our time in Africa has, to a greater extent, been penetrated by unpatriotic elements parading themselves as the remedies to societal maladies. This is the greatest human tragedy of our time!

In Africa, unfortunately, the politics of the belly is cleverly camouflaged in the common expression of “freedom of expression” and “democracy at work”. In line with this school of thought, Africa builds, and the same Africa destroys.

The politics of the belly is visible everywhere these days. In politics, no one wants to be led by another, yet the one who does not want to be led, actually wants to lead.

In the family, there is no family head, everybody is a leader, when things go wrong, no one is responsible. At school, a learner does not want to bow down to any authority.

I believe the same applies to institutions such as the church, marriage and even social clubs. To this, an African brother Chinua Achebe wrote: turning and turning in the widening glare, a falcon cannot bear the falconer, the center cannot hold, things fall apart, mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. (Actually gyre, not glare and lines written by poet W. B. Yeats – Sub.)

As Africans who are true and patriotic to the cause of the African continent and the world at large, we need to be wary of all efforts that are aimed at dividing us as a people. And in the process, we have to ensure that we do not betray the blood of the men and women who made it possible for us to be where we are today.

On Kenya

What is happening in Kenya is indeed regrettable. PACON condemns deliberate acts aimed at the destabilisation of peace and tranquility in that part of the African continent. The loss of innocent lives and unwarranted displacement of women and children in the land of their birth cannot be condoned by any peace-loving African whose heart beats for Africa. PACON calls for calm and the replacement of war-mongering with rationalism and common sense.

We also support all efforts geared towards the mediation and finding a lasting solution for the uncalled-for conflicts in that country. As Africans, we have to give peace a chance and negate political manoeuvres that are aimed at bringing chaos and destruction to Africa.

It is our hope that the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will broker a long-lasting peaceful solution acceptable to all parties.

On Tribalism

PACON is on record for having declared tribalism the biggest enemy of the African people. Africa is asunder, because of an ugly, long and protracted history of tribalism and tribal wars.

Anyone in modern Africa, who strives and supports tribalism is the arch-enemy of the African people and their just struggles for peace, justice, freedom and independence.

Once born a tribe, one has to ascend to the level of a nation, and once born a nation, one has to ascend to another level of inter-nations, thereby seeing yourself as a citizen of the world.

It is a pity that in Namibia, this ugly theme of tribalism is slowly but surely rearing its ugly head in our midst. As patriotic Namibians, we have to send a clear and unequivocal message to the die-hard tribalists that there is no space left on our soil for tribal connotations, real or imagined.

For PACON, we have to go back to our rallying slogan and war cry: One Namibia, One Nation! Cde Johanes PSK TjitjoChairperson: PACON